Emmit g



(No Model.) f

E. G. LATTA.

TRACE BUCKLE. No. 330,336. Patented Nov. 10, 1885.

UNITED STATES tries.

TRACE-BUCKLE.

5PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,336, dated November 10, .1885.

Application filed February 2, 1983. Serial No. 8 ,834. (No model.) V

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMMIT G. LATTA, of Friendship, in the county of Allegany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trace Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of tracebuckles in which a tongue-plate hinged to the buckle-frame is employed in connection with a bail or loop which is attached to the hemetug, and which bears upon the hinged tongueplate. A-trace-buckle of this construction is described and shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 205,715, granted to me on the 2d day of July, 1878, to which reference is here made for a full description thereof.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple means of attaching the hinged tongueplate to the buckle-frame without requiring any part of the metal to be bent or compressed in effecting the attachment, which last-mentioned operation is liable to break a considerable number of castings, even when thoroughly annealed; and my invention has the further object to provide a smooth bearing against the trace in the buckle-frame at its rear end,where the pivoted tongue-plate is attached.

My invention consists, to that end, of the improved construction of the trace-buckle, which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved trace-buckle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tongueframe. Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the tongue-frame. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the tongue-frame and buckleframe, illustrating the manner in which the tongue-frame is connected with the buckleframe.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the heme-tug, and B the trace.

0 represents the buckleframe, provided with a front cross-bar, d, a rear cross-bar, d, an intermediate cross-bar, d, and side bars d (1 The latter connect the three cross-bars d d (1 as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The rear cross-bar, d, is elevated above the cross-bar d so that the trace can pass through the opening between these cross-bars, and the rear portions of the side bars d lying between the crossbars d and d are arranged in an inclined position, as represented in Fig. 2.

d represents side loops formed on the buckleframe on the outer sides of the side bars d". The rear cross-bar, d, is made round in crosssection, as it operates as a pivot for the hinged tongue-frame, and the cross-bars d (Z are made oblong in crosssection, as they form the bed on which the trace rests.

E represents the tongue-plate, and e the tongue formed on the under side of theplate. The latter is provided with two arms, f f, which extend rearwardly from the plate to the rear cross-bar, d, of the buckle-frame. These arms are bent downward toward the crossbar d", and then upward toward the cross-bar d. as represented in Fig. 2. They are arranged on the inner sides of the side bars (2 of the buckle-frame, and are arranged so far apart that the trace can pass freely between the bent portions of the two arms. The rear ends of the arms f f are connected by a cross-bar, g, which occupies a position on the under side of the cross-bar d of the bucklefr'ame when the tongue frame is in its operative position. The cross-bar g is provided on the rear side of the cross-bar d with a curved lip, h, which bears against the rear side of the cross-bar d, and which is arranged centrally on the crossbar 9. The side bars 7 are provided on the inner side of the cross-bar d with two curved lips, h, which bear against the front side of the cross-bar d, and which are arranged near the ends of the cross-bar g. The cross-bar g is further provided on its rear side with a loop, t, for the attachment of a side strap.

The tongue-plate E, with its side bars ff, cross-bar g, and loop 2', form together the tongueframe,which is cast complete of malleable iron or other suitable metal, as well as the buckle frame.

Upon placing the tongue-frame with itslower side upward and at an angle to the buckleframe, as represented in Fig. 5, the curved lips and h h on the cross-bar g and side bars f can be successively engaged with the crossbar d by gradually turning the tongue-frame so as to stand parallel with the buckle-frame, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 5,. when, by moving the tongue-frame laterally on the crossbar (1, the tongue-frame is brought into line with the buckle-frame. Upon swinging the IOC free end of the tongue-frame toward the crossbar d the tongue-frame is brought into its operative position.

J represents the tug loop or bail, composed 5 of a front bar, j, to which the tug is attached, a rear bar, j, and curved connecting side bars j, all cast in one piece in a wellknown manner. The side bars of the bail pass through the opening in the buckle-frame between the side bars d thereof, and the rear bar, j, rests upon the tongue plate E. The plate E is preferably made concave on its upper side to better retain the bail in position and convex on its lower side to adapt it to hold traces of I 5 different thicknesses equally well.

When the draft is applied to the tug A the bail J presses upon the tongue-plate E and bends the trace and depresses the same into the opening between the cross-bars d 01*, and

holds the tongue in engagement with the trace lo a well-known manner.

When the trace is in place in the buckle, the loop a, at the rear end of the tongue-frame, comes in contact with the trace when the tongue-plate has been swung backward far enough to disengage the tongue from the trace, and prevents the tongue-frame from being swung backward so far that the tongue-frame could become detached from the buckle-frame.

The tongue frame is therefore securely attached to the buckle-frame, when the buckle is in use, without requiring any part of the tongue-frame to be bent or compressed for the purpose of attaching thetongue-frame to the buckle-frame. The lower surface of the crossbar 9 may bear upon the trace at the rear end of the buckle-frame, and as the surface is smooth it does not abrade the trace, as it would if a joint were formed contiguous to the trace.

When adjusting an ordinary trace in the buckle, the tongue is raised out of the trace by simply pushing the frame forward but with a very thick trace it may be necessary to first remove the bail from the tongue-plate in order to permit the latter to swing backward sufficiently to release the trace.

I claim as my invention--- 1. The combination, in a buckle,of a frame having an elevated rear cross-bar, d,'a tongueplate, E, constructed with side bars f f on both sides of the trace and a rear cross-bar, g, pivoted to the cross-bar d, and a tug-bail, J, adapted to bear upon the tongue-plate E, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a buckle, of a main frame, a tongueframe pivoted thereto and constructed at its rear end with a loop or stop, 1', which limits the opening movement of the tongue-frame, and a tug-bail adaptedto bear 60 upon the tongue-plate, substantially as set forth.

3 In a buckle, a tongue-frame composed of a tongue-plate, E, side bars f f, cross-bar g, and curved lips h h, substantially as set forth, 5

EMMIT G. LATTA.

Witnesses:

JNO. J. BONNER, CHAS. F. GEYER. 

